Mayo teenager wins prestigious art competition with eye-catching portrait

Young Mayo artist, Daniel Walsh – an 18-year old from Claremorris – has been chosen overall winner of this year's 71st Texaco Children's Art Competition, taking first prize in the senior 16-18 years age category.

His winning work, for which he receives a prize of €1,500, is entitled 'Colm' and is a painstakingly detailed portrait study in graphite pencil.

In choosing it as the overall prize winner in the Competition, Final Adjudicator and Chairperson of the judging panel – Irish visual artist, curator and educator – Pauline O'Connell described Daniel's artwork as "an exceptionally accomplished and delicately rendered portrait of an aged man in pencil. A quiet, contemplative and deeply human artwork that is worthy of the top prize in this year's Texaco Children's Art Competition.

"The subtle pale skin tones and grey facial hair fade into the distance as we are drawn to Colm's clear, averted eyes – deliberately darker in tone, they focus our gaze. The artist's ability – his instinct to observe, interpret, and create such a technically accurate portrait draws the viewer into a shared space with the subject," she added.

Completely self-taught, Daniel discovered his hidden talent for art on foot of receiving graphite pencils and an art easel as a gift last Christmas.

The inspiration, and person, in his prize-winning portrait is a local family friend, Colm. "I felt the expression and detail in Colm's face would make for an interesting portrait challenge to attempt," Daniel explains.

In further success for Mayo, Aoife Corrigan (age 13), a pupil at St. Joseph's Secondary School, Castlebar, won a Special Merit Award in the 12-13 years age category for her work entitled ‘Up Mayo’, which Ms. O’Connell said ‘displayed high levels of skill and creativity.’ No stranger to the competition, Aoife also won a Special Merit Award last year.